Clothes-washer



(No Model.)

J. B. BELL.

CLOTHES WASHER.

" INVENTOR,

' ATTORNEYS.

WITNfiSSES /Mo 4/ m:

R5. Phammm n hu. Wazllingium D, C

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. BELL, ()F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTH ES-WASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,726, dated January 16, 1883.

Application filed Jnly29, 1882. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. BELL, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Washers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

- clear, and exact description of the invention,

bination of parts of a machine of that class, as

the beater-frame.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to that class of clothes-washers in which a reciprocating beater hung in the sides of the machine is worked in the suds-box or clothes-receptacle; and it consists in the improved construction and comhereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A represents the suds-box or clothes-receptacle, the concave bottom of which (either smooth or corrugated) has inclined sides a a. At the junction of the bottom and sides, on each side of the machine, is fixed a corrugated strip, B,

above which stationary heaters O O are placed. These consist of bars or rungs, the ends of which are fixed into cleats in the ends or heads of the suds-box, so as to form slanting walls, leaving anuope'n space, a, between them and thefixed sides a of the machine of gradually-increasin g wid th toward the top. I prefer to make the rungs G corrugated, of the same construction and sh ape as the rungs in the heater-frame. (Shown in Fig. 2.) This construction, however, though preferable,.as productive of certain advantanges, is not essential to the successful operation of the machine.

The beater-frame consists of two parallel side pieces, D D, connected at their upper ends by the handle-bar E and at their lower ends by parallel rungs or bars F. The frame is hung upon pins or trunnions d, working in hearings in the ends of the suds-box. By reference to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 it will be seen that the upper set or series of beater-rungs, F, are made round and corrugated, their tenoned endsf being inserted into round boxes bored into the lower part of the sides D D. The last two rungs, F, however, (I prefer to use two, though one will do,) or the pair nearest the bottom, are flattened, so as to give the desired weight and cause less resistance in the water, and cast- (of iron or other suitable metal) in one piece,heingconnectedatoppositeendsbyheads or cross-pieces g, which are cast upon bolts G,inserted through the ends of the sides D D, to which they are nutted on the outside by nuts H. To prevent the metal rungs F F from turning with their belts in the beater-frame the heads or connecting-webs g are made with lips, or flanges g, which fit into mortises or recesses g in the lower part of the side pieces, D, as will be seen more clearly by'reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings.

I am aware that it is not new in washingmachines of this class to use a weighted handle on the beater-frame for the purpose of balancingthe weightof the lower part of the frame,

which is immersed in the suds, as well as to increase the momentum of the beater; but this is only partially effected where the weight is placed outside of the suds-box. By .placing the weights F- F in the lower end of the bee ter-i'rame, so that they form part of the beater itself within the suds-box, I not only facilitate the operation of the machine, but also increase the efi'ect of the beater as against the clothes immersed in the suds-box.

The object of the corrugated strips B under the inclined sides, and which operate in conjunction with them, is to cause the clothes in the box to be turned over at each reciprocating motion of the beater, so that a fresh part of each piece of clothing contained in the machine will be subjected to the action of the beater at each reciprocation.

' The object of the corrugations orv ribs on the rungs or slats F and U is to cause the suds to gush in every direction from the pressure at eachstroke. The openings between the fixed side rungs, C, will permit the suds to enter the space 0 between them and the inclined sides a of the machine, from where it gushes out over the clothes, so as to thoroughly immerse and saturate them.

I have found by experience that. in a machine of the usual size the weights of the lowermost pair of beater-rungs, FF, in the beater-frame should be from fifteen to eighteen pounds, more or less. If made of iron or other metal that will rust, they should be tinned or galvanized, as should also their bolts Gr and nuts H. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi the United States v l. The beater-frame consisting of the side pieces, D D, connected at their upper ends by the cross-bar E, and having at their lower ends a series of parallel wooden rungs, F, and a pair of weighted metal rungs, F F. having solid ends or heads 9, provided with flanges g, and bolts G, adapted to be nutted to the beaterframe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Theimproved clothes-washerherein shown and described, the same consisting of the sudsbox A, having inclined sides a a, a concave bottom, bottom strips, B B, and rungs O C, forming open spaces cat opposite sides of the machine, in combination with the beater-frame consisting of sides D D, having trunnions d d, handle-bar E, parallel wooden rungs F F, and fixed weighted bottom rungs, F F, all constructed and combined to operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own 1 have hereunto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

- JOHN B. BELL. Witnesses:

JAMES M. BELL, ANDREW MILLER. 

